The government will seek to achieve a balance between economic development and cultural preservation in promoting indigenous tribal industries, Premier Mao Chi-kuo said at today's Cabinet meeting after hearing the Council of Indigenous Peoples' (CIP) report on the outcomes and outlook of relevant industry promotion.
"Tribal industries feature cultural heritage and ecological resources, which will help increase economic value through innovation and marketing," Mao said.
The premier noted that the government has achieved progress in supporting these industries in recent years but stressed that its policies should be people-oriented, paying more attention to indigenous peoples' livelihood and encouraging youths to return to their hometowns to help with preservation of tribal culture.
According to the CIP, the government is implementing a three-pronged guidance program combining industry, employment and entrepreneurship to cultivate talents for running tribal industries. It is also promoting an integrated pilot industrial zone to augment the effect of resource subsidization, help lay the foundation for relevant industrial development, and develop an innovative economy based on the traditional wisdom and knowledge of indigenous peoples. "All this is part of the objective of the Executive Yuan's Productivity 4.0 plan," said the CIP.